The global crypto market cap stood at $2.6 trillion on March 18, down 1.4% over the past 24 hours, with total trading volume at $115 billion. Large-cap coins weakened, as Bitcoin fell to $74,000 and Ethereum traded at $2,329.6. At the same time, parts of the altcoin market stayed active, led by SIREN with a 42.76% jump and VELO with a 19.66% gain.
Bitcoin and Ethereum both moved lower
Bitcoin was down 2.28% in 24 hours, with trading volume of $45.78 billion, market capitalization of $1.48 trillion, and market dominance at 56.6%. Ethereum slipped 1.47%, posting $24.37 billion in volume and a market cap of $281 billion. Its share of the total market was 10.7%. The figures point to continued concentration in major assets, even as short-term price action softened.
Altcoins diverged sharply, with SIREN among the top movers
Among active gainers, Aster traded at $0.7477, up 0.18%. TRON rose 4.36% to $0.3086, while Polymesh gained 13.92% to $0.04867. Other notable winners included MemeCore, up 15.41%; River, up 14.43%; and Kaspa, up 10.05%. SIREN changed hands at $0.7470 with $54.38 million in trading volume, placing it among the day’s strongest performers.
On the losing side, PI fell 11.51% to $0.173. PEPE dropped 7.95% to $0.053681, and SKY lost 6.83% to $0.07368. By ecosystem performance, the Polkadot ecosystem and the XRP Ledger ecosystem were listed as the top gainers over the last 24 hours.
Stablecoins edged up while DeFi weakened
The stablecoin segment posted a 0.4% increase over the past day, reaching a market capitalization of $312 billion and trading volume of $86.2 billion. DeFi, by contrast, declined 0.6%, with a total market cap of $55.4 billion, trading volume of $4.2 billion, and global dominance of 2.1%. That split suggests defensive liquidity remained active in stablecoins while DeFi activity cooled.
Fear index stayed low as several market updates landed
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index came in at 26, still in the “Fear” zone. It was 28 a day earlier, 15 last week, and 12 last month. Sentiment has improved from extreme lows, but caution remains in place.
On the news front, Mastercard plans to acquire stablecoin startup BVNK for $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent consideration. Aster Chain launched its zero-knowledge privacy Layer 1 mainnet, with staking and developer programs set to begin soon. Analysts also warned that a U.S. crypto regulatory bill could be delayed until 2027, with disputes centered on stablecoin rules, the division of responsibilities between the SEC and CFTC, and investor protection standards. Elsewhere, Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 market reached an all-time high open interest of $1.43 billion, and Coinbase added Katana (KAT) and EDGEX to its listing roadmap.
Compared with March 17, the market shifted from a stronger rebound to a mild correction. Total market capitalization moved from $2.65 trillion, after a 3.6% daily increase, to $2.6 trillion on March 18, while trading volume also declined. Major coins lost momentum, but selective strength in altcoins remained visible.